Game board



Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

CHRISTIAN rn'riinsEN, or PORTLAND, MAIN;

GAME BOARD. 'i

`Application illedApril 15, 1927.. SerialNo. 184,000

My invention relates .to improvements in gaine-boards kand the general objectA I have in view is to provide an amusement device by which a simple parlor game .may be played by one or more `participants and Which, from the nature of the gaine, will involve the exercise of a considerable amount of dexterity on the partof the playerszifl.

the bestpossible scores. are attained. f

The objection to many ofthe numerous mechanically operated gaine devices resides in and is due principally to the fact thattlie element of chance or luck enters too largely into the playingV-the human factor being subordinated to that .of theI machine.

My .present invention. con'itemplates. a manually operatedand actuated contrivance designed to develop in the player a control over his sense of touch as Well yasvto educate his eye and enlargehis faculty of visually calculating distaiic.es,-liis hand and his eye coordinating to produce adesired result.

The game as played on Vmy-,game-board consists in manually driving a all 4With a light cue along a track or ball-Way oii the top of the board, starting with a relatively long horizontal portion andv ending with a short inclined part, the ball returning by gravity and momentum toward its starting point, and the location of the ball When it comes to rest designating by adjacent tally marks the count or score of the player.

It will therefore be apparent that a player to become proficient must acquire the correct cue stroke or touch and also be able to j ud e accurately'the distance the ballshould be Iriven up the incline so that it will return to the most advantageous position on the board,-Which, obviously, is that one carrying the highest value in the score.

I have illustrated my invention by means of the accompanying drawing, in Which,'

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the gameboard, unfolded;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation of the same;

Fi 8 is a perspective view of thegaineboar folded;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4,Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view of the cue;

Figs. 7 and 8 are views of differentl size balls which may be used in playing, and

, .Fig-9, isaragmentaryf; plan view of onev ofthe. hinged Yjoints.4 Similarzparts; are identified. by `the same 'reference characters, throughout all V.the different views; of thedrawing. n Ink Fig. 1 I show the vboard unfolded; and in readiness to play the gaine. v The board comprises a plurality of sections each com-y posed of flatbase boards l With upwardly extending ledges 2 foirmin onthe-top surface ofthe game-boarda cannel or trouglishaped ball- Way 2. I have shown these ledges 2 as integral with the-base boai'dbut I mayl elect to, construct the game-board by makingthe ledges as separate strips,-fas tening them to the base .board in aiiyap-V proved manner.' f 1 f I connect each section with Aits'adjacent section by hinges, the outer ones 'bein illustrated as o .the 'strap, and thejcentra oneo the butt type.V v i z Partially closing the trough` 2,'= at" the players endof the gamefboard, ie la block 4 having its upper surface concavedfl to receive and vguide thecue 5 which servesas the inanually actuated iiiipeller'forY the balll5.

The .extremefend section of"V the .galileboard, oppositefto the players end, is .pro-

vided withk means for Velevatingtits outer' end so that the section Will incline, relative to the remaining sections. At 6 aregrooves made in the sides of the Section and beneath the latter is a block 7 having side plates 8 secured thereto. The upper ends of these side plates, at 8, arebeiit inwardly so as to engage the grooves 6. By sliding the block 7 backwardly or forwardly along `the section,ra greater or lesser angle of inclination of the latter may be procured.

On one of the margins of the game-board, preferably on the top ofone of the ledges 2, I imprint numeral characters N, forming a plurality of consecutive numbers, as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc., these indicating the. count or score made by the player when the returning ball comes to rest abreast any one of them.

In operation, the player places a ball 5 in the trough 2 adjacent the cue guide block 4. A stroke with the cue 5 forces the ball along the horizontal portion of the gameboard and up, for a certain distance,-the inclined portion thereof. Returning by gravity and momentum, the ball comes to rest on some portion of the horizontal sections, adjaceiit which point of rest is a tally mark, or one of the numerals 1, 2, 3 etc., which indicates the count to be credited to the last player.

It might be thought an easy matter to force the ball up the incline, but unless it is driven nearly to the upper end it will not return to the larger numbers, say 8, 9 or 10 which count for the highest scoring points; and if the slightest amount of overstroke or force is given the cue beyond that which would driveit to the correct extreme movement up the incline, the `ball will roll olf the section, and this'act will penalize the la er. A n A ility to var the angle of inclination ofthe outer en section makes the .game played on this board more interesting, as When once a player has accustomed himself tosome particular angle of the adjustable section he must apply himself again to master his stroke at some other angle of incline of the board. i

Then too, the Weight and size of the balls effects the result in a great measure. I have provided the trough or' sufficient capacity to Yhold balls of various sizes so that the game may be played with either a large or a small ball.

When not in use the game-board may beV be'made in the construction of my gameboard, as for instance, the horizontal portion could be made in one piece. In Whatever manner it is constructed, however, it is essential to have the horizontal portion of relatively greatylength compared with the inclined portion so as to give more scope to the action of the ball in coming to rest on the board.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is 1. A game-board comprising a plurality ofhorizontally disposed members, hingedly surfaces, an inclined member havnected `to one of said lirst mentioned mem-` bers, a cue, a ball, means to vary the-angle of inclination vof said inclined member relative to said horizontally-disposed members, and tallying means on said horizontally-disposed members,`said means consisting in numerical characters, each adapted to indicate a certain value inthe score made by the participant `in the game, and said score being determined by the value f of the character adjacent which the ball comes to rest on its return movement on said members.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. i t y CHRISTIAN PETERSEN. 

